Confessions of an old fart.

[GunnyGene]

This was mildly embarrassing today. :oops:

I'd bought a new laptop pc a couple weeks ago, and it was a little slow, so went by Office Depot to ask about some additional RAM. This cute little geek girl (looked about 23yo) pops out of the back room to help me, and in no time flat she pulls up the right 4GB memory chip on the store computer, and explains how to add it to my laptop or they would do it for $40 service charge. So, I ask her if she would write down the part number, etc. for the chip. In about a half second she went over to the printer and pulled out a copy of the web page with all that info on it and with a big smile handed it to me. I felt like I'd just been resurrected from Tut's tomb! Thanked her, and told her I was just an old guy that still thought in terms of pencils and pens; and made a hasty (for a resurrected Mummy) exit. :wink: :roll:

 

[Xsales]

Doesn't sound like you are too old to me

Now, if you grew up with ink wells for your fountain pen THEN you are OLD

Your just a kid

 

[GunnyGene]

Doesn't sound like you are too old to me

Now, if you grew up with ink wells for your fountain pen THEN you are OLD

Your just a kid

Actually, I did start out with lead pencils & fountain pens. Even had a quill pen. Also had a big slide rule in a belt holster in high school. Ask some high school kid today what he/she knows about logarithms and you'll get blank stare. :lol:

 

[Xsales]

Doesn't sound like you are too old to me

Now, if you grew up with ink wells for your fountain pen THEN you are OLD

Your just a kid

Ask some high school kid today what he/she knows about logarithms and you'll get blank stare. :lol:

We my my you are OLD. Quill pens were all the rave back then :D

Oh, ask a kid to add 2+ 2 without a smart phone, you'll get the same blank stare
We all know it's 7, I mean 6, no wait 5 ..........................

 

[Selena]

Doesn't sound like you are too old to me

Now, if you grew up with ink wells for your fountain pen THEN you are OLD

Your just a kid

Actually, I did start out with lead pencils & fountain pens. Even had a quill pen. Also had a big slide rule in a belt holster in high school. Ask some high school kid today what he/she knows about logarithms and you'll get blank stare. :lol:

Unless you happen to pick one that is taking analytic geometry. In which case you will get a discussion of the derivation of "e" and they will be rewarded with a blank stare from you! :P

 

[GunnyGene]

Unless you happen to pick one that is taking analytic geometry. In which case you will get a discussion of the derivation of "e" and they will be rewarded with a blank stare from you! :P

Not likely. I may be old, but I still remember Eulers number. You forget I was a professional (and senior) statistician for a Fortune 50 company for a few years. :)

 

[Sturgis270]

When you stop looking....then you are OLD!!

 

[Fox Mike]

Doesn't sound like you are too old to me

Now, if you grew up with ink wells for your fountain pen THEN you are OLD

Your just a kid

Wait just a minute! I resemble that remark. I had inkwells and a 'DIP IT' pen till I was in the 8th grade...then we could use a fountain pen. :roll: :lol:

 

[Selena]

Doesn't sound like you are too old to me

Now, if you grew up with ink wells for your fountain pen THEN you are OLD

Your just a kid

Wait just a minute! I resemble that remark. I had inkwells and a 'DIP IT' pen till I was in the 8th grade...then we could use a fountain pen. :roll: :lol:

My Dad has a fountain pen. You have to dip it in a bottle of ink to fill it. Only trouble he has to keep his hand off the paper because he is left handed and smears the ink.

 

[Merle1948]

Doesn't sound like you are too old to me

Now, if you grew up with ink wells for your fountain pen THEN you are OLD

Your just a kid

Wait just a minute! I resemble that remark. I had inkwells and a 'DIP IT' pen till I was in the 8th grade...then we could use a fountain pen. :roll: :lol:

My Dad has a fountain pen. You have to dip it in a bottle of ink to fill it. Only trouble he has to keep his hand off the paper because he is left handed and smears the ink.

Does it have a refillable cartridge, or is a REALLY old one with a curved point that hold some ink? :mrgreen:

 

[Colonialgirl]

I have a couple of the old fountain pens with the built in reservoir; You know, the ones where you unscrew the back half, stick the pointy end into the ink well and then use the back part to suck up the ink.
I forget if they are Parkers or Schaefers , I only use them for signing Xmas cards and Birthday cards.

They CAN use the disposable cartridges too, but that's NO fun !!

 

[Mobuck]

On the other hand, I was able to get in 3 hours of work yesterday mostly because I was able to wrap my stylus dummy cord around my hand and operate my I-pad. Haven't been able to close my right hand enough to hold a pencil/pen for 2 days but could punch in entries on the "device".
Downside is: kids don't learn how to write with pen and paper.

 

[Fox Mike]

My Dad has a fountain pen. You have to dip it in a bottle of ink to fill it. Only trouble he has to keep his hand off the paper because he is left handed and smears the ink.

That was what we used in school. It had the little 'tab' on the side that you used to pump the ink into it as you stuck the point into the ink bottle. The cartridge type came out WAY later.

 

[Selena]

My Dad has a fountain pen. You have to dip it in a bottle of ink to fill it. Only trouble he has to keep his hand off the paper because he is left handed and smears the ink.

Does it have a refillable cartridge, or is a REALLY old one with a curved point that hold some ink? :mrgreen:

I have no idea, I've never tried to use it.

 

[jimbo1096]

Downside is: kids don't learn how to write with pen and paper.

They don't even teach them to write in cursive anymore. That's really sad. And with the new "common core" teaching standards, they are really dumbing down the kids in school today. Worse is that I can't help them because what they are learning doesn't make sense or relate to how I was taught. Maybe I'm the one that's now dumb.

 

[powder smoke]

Those earlier "fill it yourself" ink pens were just fading out when I was a kid. The "big new thing" when I was in elementary school was the wet ink "cartridge" about 1-1/2 inches long, that you put into place.

Yup ruined a few shirts with them babies, made mama proud :roll: ps

 

[Elfego El Gato]

A) I still use a very nice Waterman cartridge-type fountain pen.

B) To the OP: You know what RAM is. You might be old, but you're not out of touch... Yet! :wink: :lol:

 

[Rick Courtright]

A) I still use a very nice Waterman cartridge-type fountain pen.

Hi,

Hang onto it, Sr. Gato! If you ever have to replace it, sticker shock will probably knock you over... My "cheap" Pelikan was about $65 when I got it, and that seemed outrageous. Their nicer ones ran into the $300-$500 range, THEN. Mine runs about twice the original purchase price to replace now, so those others "would scare me, and I'm fearless" as a co-worker liked to say. The tag on a top of the line Mont Blanc today would probably put many of us in the ground!

OTOH, inexpensive "student grade" fountain pens seem to coming back. Well, I guess they've never left the European and Japanese markets, but they're going for boat rides to our side of the pond now. Maybe somebody's listened to our many complaints about kids not being taught to write nicely with stick shaped tools in their hands? Or perhaps there's a certain "invisible" class line situation involved? Our penmanship was a "gradable" item on the report card when I was in grade school, and I still cringe when I see kids holding their pencils like stabbing instruments even if they're to be forgiven for just printing.

Rick C

 

[SamV]

I have had a Pelikan for over 30 years. I had bad luck with a few Watermans. I have tried student grade Pilot fountain pens along with German Lamy. I currently use an inexpensive Lamy (about $30) for daily use. So yes the German and Japanese student pens are very good. And yes they still teach handwriting in those countries. I just read an article about the Smithsonian museum and their transcription program. They have thousands of documents to transcribe. Part of the reason they transcribe is because less people can read script now.

 

[737tdi]

Man, y'all sure make me feel young sometimes. Thanks. I am only 52 so never had the pleasure/pain that these pens caused. I did try one a few times and could never get the pause correct. As in I would always leave a blob. Give me a crayon or carpenters pencil and I am fine.LOL. I know how to write cursive but the way mine looks Max my male GSD knows how to as well. I print everything I write. Actually it is required for all signoffs for aviation. Thanks but no, I will stick with a fine ball point.

Karl

 

[Colonialgirl]

I read the names and sit here thinking abut my pens; Then I reach over to my pile of pens and pick up my Waterman with the dark blue barrel, sterling silver cap and the 18k #750 Nib and think "How Lucky I am to own such a FINE writing instrument". It has the screw plunger ink reservoir, but will tank an ink cartridge as a substitute. Fountain pens just fill RIGHT held in the writing position in the fingers, NOT some scrawny piece of plastic. I'll have to search out my other pens and just fondle them a bit.
If I recall correctly, my Waterman had a price tag of $120 when I got it about 10 years ago.

 

[john guedry]

+1 on the printing.

 

[bobski]

god help usa if the power goes out. the brains will lock up.

 

[Selena]

god help usa if the power goes out. the brains will lock up.

I've witnessed brains lock up with the power on, this board alone has a bounty of examples.

That said, considering the hassle of carrying an ink bottle around and the availability of dependable ball points, gel points and felt tips why even bother with artifact pens? Not complaining, honestly curious.

 

[Merle1948]

god help usa if the power goes out. the brains will lock up.

I've witnessed brains lock up with the power on, this board alone has a bounty of examples.

That said, considering the hassle of carrying an ink bottle around and the availability of dependable ball points, gel points and felt tips why even bother with artifact pens? Not complaining, honestly curious.

Lock up implies that they were once functioning - I've got my doubts about that! :mrgreen:

 

[RugerHound]

Doesn't sound like you are too old to me

Now, if you grew up with ink wells for your fountain pen THEN you are OLD

Your just a kid

Ummmm....

I had ink wells & fountain pens ... :shock: :?

 

[Rick Courtright]

I had ink wells & fountain pens ... :shock: :?

Hi,

And girls with pigtails? :oops: ;)

Rick C

 

[m657]

My two room/two story school started 1st grade with the inkwells & dipper pens.....

The ground floor room was all grades 1-6 and the 'upper classmen' was 6-12 on the second floor.

Went back to the small community about 10 years ago to see if the old school was still around...a magnificent 1900 era granite edifice.....was sorrowed to learn it had been torn down about 20 years before that.

Clear up to the mid-50s my schools had the lever-fill yourself style & tons of 'Palmer method' classes. Some how none of what I imagined my cursive would look like with extensive practice, ever did so.

Some favored the greens & other forbidden colors in their own little ink bottle stash. I could never get anything but the occasional blue-black.....which I was sure stunted my growth somehow.

By the late 50s the cartridge models were the rave, and the girls with the green bottles and their own minty-spiced toothpick concoction were becoming interesting for other .....features .....of their ...... personality.....

 

[Merle1948]

My two room/two story school started 1st grade with the inkwells & dipper pens.....

The ground floor room was all grades 1-6 and the 'upper classmen' was 6-12 on the second floor.

Went back to the small community about 10 years ago to see if the old school was still around...a magnificent 1900 era granite edifice.....was sorrowed to learn it had been torn down about 20 years before that.

Clear up to the mid-50s my schools had the lever-fill yourself style & tons of 'Palmer method' classes. Some how none of what I imagined my cursive would look like with extensive practice, ever did so.

Some favored the greens & other forbidden colors in their own little ink bottle stash. I could never get anything but the occasional blue-black.....which I was sure stunted my growth somehow.

By the late 50s the cartridge models were the rave, and the girls with the green bottles and their own minty-spiced toothpick concoction were becoming interesting for other .....features .....of their ...... personality.....

My first year was in a two story building. Grades 1 ~ 6 downstairs, with the rest upstairs. The building is still there, but is now divided into apartments. :roll:

 

[Colonialgirl]

When I went to my 50 year High School reunion, the Junior High school (Bartlesville Central High) was STILL there and STILL in operation; a solid BRICK building with a Semi-basement and TWO floors; There had been some additions which included moving the cafeteria off the second floor and into a connected building.
The High School (Bartlesville College High when I went there) STILL has the original building from the 1920's , but now has had several addition and a name change to Bartlesville High school :( :( because they changed one high school to a Jr High and combined its student body at the one school. Sadly an old name and mascot disappeared. :cry: :cry:
We USE to be the Bartlesville College High School "Wildcats" (named for the old oil drilling "wild catters" of the day.)
Originally, the school was a Senior High (11th and 12th grades) plus a two year college; The college disappeared and they moved the 10th grade into the school. The old Central High school became a Jr. High with the 7-9th grades.